The present invention relates to a solid state electrical generator having no moving parts in its structure. More particularly, the invention makes use of a new method of stimulating the nuclear material of a permanent magnet so that the electronic structure of the atom will vibrate and thus cause the magnetic field of the permanent magnet to oscillate. It is a well-known fact that an oscillating magnetic field will induce electrical current in a coil and was originally discovered by Michael Faraday in the last century. What is new in this invention is the discovery of the ability of an acoustic field to stimulate the nuclear structure of a material to cause the electrons to wobble under the influence of the acoustic field. If the material is magnetic or temporarily magnetized by an external magnetic field then the magnetic field will vibrate under the stimulus of the acoustic field. If this effect is combined with a coil which is simultaneously stimulating the magnet then the efficiency of stimulating the permanent magnet's field is enhanced. If a pickup coil is placed in the oscillating magnetic field so as to create an induction transformer then the combination of the acoustic and magnetic stimulation will enhance the efficiency of the induction transformer.
The most relevant prior art known to the inventor comprises U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,926 (1990) to Mario Pasichinsky, entitled Magnet Motion Electrical Generator; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,001 (1978) to Frank Richardson, entitled Electromagnetic Converter With Stationary Variable-Reluctance Members; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,006,401 (1977) to de Rivas, entitled Electromagnetic Generator.
The above references to Pasichinsky, Richardson, and de Rivas all use inductive methods to stimulate the motion of a permanent magnetic field. In the de Rivas invention, the Electromagnetic Generator, the flux of the permanent magnet is "alternate(d) by switching" using inductive coupling. In the Richardson disclosure an "energy conversion system" the flux of the permanent magnet is also "shifted" by inductive means. In the Pasichinsky disclosure, alternating magnetic coils induce flux changes in a closed magnetic circuit and output coils attached to the circuit are induced by the changing flux to produce a magnetic field. All of these devices are essentially variations of transformer design with permanent magnets as part of the transformer cores and all use magnetic induction. The transformer aspect of these references is the use of permanent magnets as the transformer core with coils wrapped around the magnetic core which are energized to produce oscillation or movement of the permanent magnet's field. The above references are herein called under a class name herein referred to as "permanent magnet transformers".
Other prior art relevant to the invention are U.S. Pat. No. 2,101,272 (1937) to H. J. Scott, entitled Combined Magnetostriction and Piezoelectric Selective Device; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,636,135 (1953) to R. L. Peek, Jr. entitled Stress Coupled Core and Crystal Transformer, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,834,943 (1958) to R. O. Grisdale, etal entitled Mechanically Coupled Electromechanical and Magnetomechanical Transducers, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,246,287 (1966) to H. F. Benson entitled Piezoelectric Transformer, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,261,339 (1966) to H. P. Quinn entitled Magnetostrictive Transformer, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,274,406 (1966) to H. S. Sommers, Jr. entitled Acoustic Electromagnetic Device, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,309,628 (1967) to F. A. Olson entitled YIG Variable Acoustic Delay Line, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,457,463 (1969) to L. Balamuth entitled Method and Apparatus for Generating Electric Currents of Small Magnitude, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,731 (1984) to Butler et al. entitled Hybrid Piezoelectric and Magnetostrictive Acoustic Wave Transducer, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,071 (1985) to R. B. Thompson entitled Method and Apparatus for Measuring Stress.
The above cited reference to Peek takes advantage of the difference in operation of piezoelectric and magnetostrictive crystals to produce a response in one when stimulated by the other. The Peek patent does not use an acoustic wave to stimulate a permanent magnet as in the present invention.
The above cited reference to Sommers is a transducer which uses a conductive bar or tube, which supports relatively slow helicon waves, placed next to a piezoelectric or magnetostrictive crystal. The transducer is designed in such a way to either enhance the acoustic wave or the electric wave by interaction of the two materials. The Sommers patent does not use an acoustic wave to stimulate a permanent magnet as in the present invention to enhance to oscillation of the magnetic field.
The above cited reference to Balmuth uses mechanically resonant reeds, rods, or chambers that are coupled to transducers that are piezoelectric, magnetostrictive, or transistorized. The electrical output of the transducers stimulate an electrical circuit when the resonator receives acoustic energy and again does not use an acoustic wave to stimulate a permanent magnet as in the present invention to enhance to oscillation of the magnetic field.
The above cited reference to Olson uses an acoustically responsive material such as a piezoelectric or a magnetostrictive to act as a delay line for microwave signals and again does not use an acoustic wave to stimulate a permanent magnet as in the present invention to enhance to oscillation of the magnetic field.
The above cited references to Benson, Quinn, Grisdale, Scott, and Butler are all concerned with acoustic transducers which convert acoustic pressure to an electrical signal or vice versa using only the piezoelectric and/or the magnetostrictive effect. The Benson patent is an underwater acoustic transformer which converts acoustic waves hitting a transducer into an electromagnetic field which excites a transformer. The Quinn patent uses a magnetostrictive effect to stimulate piezoelectric crystals to output a high voltage which is a reverse of the Benson patent. The Grisdale patent uses mechanically stacked piezoelectric or magnetostrictive crystals to produce a more efficient mechanical gyrator. The Scott patent uses and electrical oscillator to stimulate magnetostrictive rods which put pressure on piezoelectric crystals to output a high voltage from the piezoelectric crystals. The Butler patent uses a combined effect of piezoelectric and magnetostrictive crystals to produce an enhanced acoustic energy detector.
The above cited reference to Thompson uses a permanent magnetic transducer to induce eddy currents in metal which is in the field of the transducer or uses moving eddy currents in a piece of metal to stimulate a magnetic field. The induction of the eddy currents is the result of an oscillating magnetic field generated in the transducer.
None of the above cited references use an acoustic wave to stimulate the atoms of a permanent magnet and hence are not related to this invention.